20. Omakase at Sushi Noguchi

Like Kasey Kasem, we're counting down the hits, except ours nourish your belly as well as your soul. Just a few weeks left in our listicle of listicles known as 100 Favorite Dishes (INSERT YEAR). YEAH!!!

Hey, don't ding us for listicles: Weekly DataLab studies show ustedes love this gimmick, launched in honor of our coming Best Of issue. Besides, it is rather fun to do this for us Forkers--an opportunity to highlight dishes from restaurants we'll never fully review, or secrets from old standbys. Anyhoo, let the march begin...

It's worth the drive on the awful 91 freeway to sit in this modern, light, airy restaurant and be attended by Hiro Noguchi and his wife Jun. This is where, if you don't already, you will understand why it's not possible to just pick up a fancy Shun knife and be a master itamae (sushi chef). Watching Hiro-san's knife work through whatever's freshest, be it saba (mackerel) or matsutake mushrooms, is artistry in motion--and then you get to eat the art. Lucky, lucky, lucky Yorba Lindans.